In Epping Forest
Introductions…
Welcome!
Exciting times call for exciting measures, and whatever else is going on in the wider world, these are exciting times in the Arciemme Active (and Creative) Universe.
Back in May 2019, having worked as a personal trainer at the Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre since its opening in 2016, I took the plunge and became fully freelance. Since then, I’m delighted to have been able to build my little Garden Gym, where I can meet and work with clients…
…And as of now, I also have a blog!
The advice out there tells me that this first post should: introduce me, link to my social media pages, contain images, and certainly must not contain any grammatical errors… So, following this advice, here are the introductions (with pictures):
I’m Ruth Calder-Murphy, a level 3 personal trainer, with experience and expertise in running coaching, resistance training, pre- and post-natal exercise, nutrition, kettlebell training and exercise for mental health.
I’m also known as Arciemme – which is from my initials, R.C.M. – and I like that, because it’s made up of “arc” – associated with rainbows and bridges – and “emme”, meaning universal.
My background wasn’t originally in fitness. (At school I was relatively unfit, and more academically-minded than physically active.) I have a degree in music and in 1997, qualified as a music and English teacher. (Hopefully this will help with the elimination of those grammatical errors. It will also make it even more embarrassing if you find any.) I’ve worked as an artist and am a published writer. I’m mother to three lovely children, who are all going to be taller than I am within the next twelve months or so.
I’m passionate about celebrating people – and helping them to celebrate themselves, regardless of where they are on their health and fitness journey. My own path to this point – where I’m a fitness professional, and have run (and occasionally won) ultra-marathon distance races – has been quite convoluted. It’s a path that’s taken in struggles with eating disorders, battles with anxiety and depression, being very insecure in my body image, and being more cerebral than physical during my teens. Over time, I’ve discovered the exhilaration of being active and strong, and have learned to value my body – and to see myself as a whole person rather than a collection of somewhat unsatisfactory parts. As such, I empathise with people who’re coming to a healthier, more active lifestyle from a variety of different angles and perspectives.
I want everyone to feel more comfortable in their skin, and to discover the joy of being active in ways that might not even feel like exercise. I want to chip away at the guilt and shame that so many of us feel around food, and to reach a point where food, too, is something to be enjoyed as the fuel that enables us to live life to the full.
This blog, then, will explore whole-person wellness. It will include posts about running, about the benefits of being in the Great Outdoors, about being creative and physically active. It will look at how resistance training can help to enhance our lives in all sorts of unexpected ways, and how the most basic things of all – sleep and food – can be transformative.
Thank you so much for reading. Please feel free to leave comments, or to get in touch with me at arciemme@arciemme.com.
To connect with me online, follow these links:
Website:
Arciemme Active on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/arciemmeactive/?ref=bookmarks
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl6jrttvW3zC6LZEegDiGoA?view_as=subscriber
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/arciemme.active/
Twitter:
Arciemme Active and Creative 